A Benihana Christmas
|writer = Jeniffer Celotta |release = December 14, 2006 |runtime = 42 Minutes |rating = |available = DVD iTunes }}"A Benihana Christmas" is the second Christmas episode of the NBC series ''The Office'', aired in the show's third season. Synopsis Carol Stills (Nancy Walls) confronts Michael Scott (Steve Carell) about the Christmas card he sent her, in which he superimposed his head on the body of Carol's former husband in a family photo. She breaks off the relationship, leaving Michael heartbroken and stuck with a pair of tickets to Jamaica. For the past several months, Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) has led Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) to believe that he is being recruited by the CIA, and her gift to Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) is that he can choose Dwight's first assignment. Jim declines the gift, claiming that as the new office "Number Two" he shouldn't be engaging in such activities. Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) takes Michael to Benihana (an "Asian Hooters" according to Michael), to help him forget his recent troubles; Michael drags Dwight and Jim along. Dwight fails when attempting to impress the chef with his knowledge of Japanese knives. Andy successfully isolates Dwight from the rest of the party and convinces Michael to ask their waitress out. Meanwhile, Jim plays pranks on Dwight and realizes that his excuse for declining Pam's gift doesn't hold water. Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) kicks Karen Filippelli (Rashida Jones) off the Party Planning Committee. In response, Pam reaches out to Karen, and they plan a rival party. The rival Christmas parties begin, and the office staff members are forced to choose sides. Pam and Karen's party is a hit, while Angela's is a dreary affair. Michael and Andy each return with a waitress as their "new girlfriend", though neither is the one who waited on them at the restaurant. Angela accepts Pam's offer to merge the parties. Michael is unable to tell the two waitresses apart. To remedy this, he surreptitiously marks his date's arm with a Sharpie. When he offers to take her to Jamaica, she declines, and the two waitresses leave the party because it "blows". Jim consoles Michael by explaining that he just had a "rebound" relationship. Jim mentions that they're fun for a while, but then you keep on thinking about the girl who crushed your heart, implying he still thinks about Pam. (the girl who "crushed his heart") From his office; Michael makes a phone call and asks an unknown person to go to Jamaica with him. The offer is accepted. Pam is crushed when she sees Jim and Karen exchange gifts; they give each other copies of the "horrible, horrible" movie Bridget Jones's Diary. Jim is crushed when he sees Roy give a gift to Pam. At the end of the day, Jim tells Pam that a helicopter will be arriving to take Dwight to a welcoming party at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Dwight waits on the roof and receives a text message: "You have been compromised. Abort mission. Destroy phone." Dwight throws his phone off the roof and walks away. Availability The episode was included on The Office: Season 3 DVD set in 2007. It is also available on iTunes. See also *"Christmas Party" *"Moroccan Christmas" *"Secret Santa" *"Classy Christmas" *"Christmas Wishes" *"Dwight Christmas" External links * The Office Wiki: A Benihana Christmas Category:Episodes Category:2006 releases Category:Originally aired on NBC Category:Universal Studios